


Play for a Fool

by nirvanaflames (orphan_account)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Emperor AU!, M/M, historical japan, japanese lore, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 21:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5760247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/nirvanaflames
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just like the Edo chrysanthemums, life is full of twists and spirals. Eventually it'll come to a stop and the flower will bloom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play for a Fool

Tetsuya arrives at the imperial castle late into the night. He comes shrouded with darkness, full of mystery, drawing the attention of curious eyes as well as scrutinizing ones. Those who know of the imperial folklore speak spite of him and his clan but only in hushed tones because the darkness is vast and all knowing, and if they are caught they are eternally doomed to the darkness.

 

Or so that is what many say.

 

The torch flames flicker, momentarily casting strips of shadows upon Tetsuya’s pale face. It’s been said that those of his kind can manipulate shadows. But Tetsuya pays no mind to those sayings. He proceeds to follow the guard, feeling the hard cold stone under his bare feet.

 

Somewhere, somehow, he feels a tinge of happiness. He’s alive. He’s survived. He hasn’t drowned from the weight.

 

Ah but another thought comes to mind. A tinge of happiness is far from bringing a smile to his face yet so close to showering him with insanity.

 

 

;-; 

 

 

Of the few months Tetsuya has spent at the castle, Seijuro still does not understand that person- partly because Tetsuya keeps to himself and mainly because Seijuro never found him interesting. He also doesn’t like the fact that he has no idea what his father, the Emperor, is planning.

 

Especially when he said to Tetsuya on the night he arrived, “Let us restore the glory of the chrysanthemum throne.”

 

Another thought comes to Seijuro’s mind- unravel Tetsuya first.

 

 

;-;

 

 

Tetsuya shows no sign of surprise when the crown prince approaches him. He’s wary at first but quickly gives into Seijuro’s request, a conversation.

 

Neither of them are surprised when they finally sit down and find that they have nothing to talk about. But with it being those two, they could sit in silence together and not feel a shred of awkwardness. But time is investment. Time is valuable and Seijuro doesn’t allocate his time to people for no reason. He breaches the silence first, straight to the chase, clearly displaying his intentions towards Tetsuya. After all, the crown prince has never been one to pretend.

 

“The Emperor informed me that Tetsuya hails from the lands of Edo,” says Seijuro.

 

“I hail from the _abundance of filth_ as they call it in Edo.”

 

“And what business does an outcast have on imperial ground?”

 

Tetsuya merely repeats what the Emperor once said. “Let us restore the glory of the chrysanthemum throne.”

 

Seijuro’s always had a keen eye but when it came to Tetsuya, he felt like he was walking around some kind of dark void, unintelligible and unknown. Tetsuya pulls at him invitingly, luring him with heavy words, unspoken and forgotten things of the past. Seijuro gets the impression that Tetsuya’s a lot older than he appears but that could just be his imagination because Tetsuya doesn’t look old. He’s not sure if he should go near this man, because this one also possesses such clear piercing eyes.

 

Seijuro decides not to make a move.

 

He bids a farewell prior to his leaving. Yet, as he retreats back to his room, he is left with an anxious feeling rumbling from deep within. If this were a game of shogi, he already made an attack the moment he decided to question Tetsuya.

 

It was only a matter of time before Tetsuya made his move.

 

;-;

 

 

Months pass by and that anxious feeling Seijuro once had has already dissipated. He hasn’t talked to Tetsuya since then, but that doesn’t mean Tetsuya’s words have been entirely wiped clean from his mind.

 

The moment Seijuro has free time in his schedule he searches for Tetsuya.

 

 

;-;

 

 

Seijuro discovers Tetsuya sitting in the garden with a couple of ravens beside him. Tetsuya breaks his bread into pieces and tosses them for the birds to eat. As Seijuro approaches, the ravens peck at their food, keeping it trapped between their beaks, and flap away.

 

“Good afternoon, crown prince,” Tetsuya greets.

 

Seijuro nods in response and settles down onto the grass, situated across from Tetsuya who finishes the remains of the bread.

 

“Does the crown prince require my presence?” says Tetsuya. He dusts his hands of tiny crumbs.

 

“Let us continue from that day,” Seijuro responds. He doesn’t fail to see the flash of hesitation in Tetsuya’s eyes. He notices the few seconds where Tetsuya’s body tenses and then slackens with submission.

 

Tetsuya bows his head. “As you wish.”

 

Seijuro repeats the line that both the Emperor and Tetsuya have spoken. “Let us restore the glory of the chrysanthemum throne.”

 

Tetsuya nods. “Is the crown prince aware of the imperial folklore?”

 

“Folklore, fairytales, myths- whatever man decides to call it, I don’t believe in it.”

 

“But surely the crown prince has heard of the stories?”

 

Seijuro remembers the days and nights his mother spent with him, telling him the imperial tales. He was once fascinated with it but those are tales meant to deceive, give illusions, and empower those who know how to wield it. He wants nothing of it.

 

Tetsuya is once again touched with a tinge of happiness. Though a tinge is not enough to provide him with a smile. “Such a pure soul. You are indeed a jewel. It is a pity you have been born into this.”

 

Seijuro hardens with a fierce coldness. “I don’t believe in fate or destiny.”

 

And Tetsuya wants nothing more than to touch Seijuro, to feel the solidity of his coldness. He wants to see how bitter and icy Seijuro’s coldness is to the touch. Enough to freeze his sinful soul is what he wants.

 

Seijuro’s crimson eyes do not waver. Tetsuya sees a fire in those eyes and all he wants is to see the flickering and flaring die out. He confides in the crown prince. “Neither do I so let us carve our own path to restoring the glory of the chrysanthemum throne.”

 

 

;-;

 

 

Seijuro spends more time with Tetsuya these days, more time than he expected. As he walks back to book room, he spots the Emperor and Tetsuya walking side by side. His father says something to Tetsuya, something that makes Tetsuya bow his head politely and walk away.

 

Seijuro heads off to the book room where he’ll wait for Tetsuya’s arrival.

 

By the time Tetsuya arrives, Seijuro’s already far into his book. He flips a page, eyes fixed on the printed words. “Hello Tetsuya.”

 

Tetsuya browses the shelves, wandering aimlessly. “Good afternoon to you, Akashi-sama.”

 

They bask in each other’s silence and Tetsuya disappears into the aisles. Half an hour later he returns back to where Seijuro is seated. Today, he decides to sit behind the crown prince. They have their backs to each other, a book tucked in both their hands.

 

Tetsuya pries his book open and stares all over the page. “Elderly people are troublesome, aren’t they?”

 

“Why does Tetsuya say that?”

 

“My grandma was quite troublesome.”

 

Seijuro blinks, keeping the edge of a page trapped between his fingers. He assumed Tetsuya was referring to the Emperor. “Is that so.”

 

“Yes. I never understood why she prayed to the gods so often. Isn’t it because of them that we’re born into such a life?”

 

“I thought Tetsuya doesn’t believe in fate.”

 

Tetsuya remains silent for quite some time. “I used to. Perhaps I’m just relishing over those days.”

 

Seijuro flips the page he’s been holding onto. “There is no such thing as fate. Believe in your own hands, Tetsuya.”

 

“Says the descendant of Amaterasu.” Tetsuya’s voice drips with bitterness. Seijuro can imagine those bitter drops landing on his icy exterior. Unfortunately it’s not enough to thaw the ice.

 

 

;-;

 

 

There are some days when Seijuro questions who Tetsuya really is. Like the night he came, he is still shrouded in a blanket of mystery and darkness. There’s a heaviness, an ancient feel to the air around him. Sometimes Tetsuya is bitter cold but there are times when he’s filled with a kind of indignation, a fiery intensity, capable of burning when touched.

 

“Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye and her brother, Tsukuyomi, was born from the washing of his right eye,” Tetsuya says. He’s been recounting this folklore lately. Seijuro pays no attention to it though. After all, he wants nothing of it.

 

Tetsuya prattles on. “Amaterasu used to rule the sky with her brother, Tsukuyomi, but when the god killed another goddess, Amaterasu split the sky into day and night, no longer sharing the sky with him.”

 

Seijuro moves a piece on his shogi board. “Tetsuya is quite fond of the story.”

 

“I regard the story with the same amount of fondness you possess for it, Akashi-sama.”

 

A subtle smile reaches Seijuro’s lips.

 

 

;-;

 

 

It is late into the evening when Seijuro witnesses Tetsuya exiting the Emperor’s quarters. Tetsuya stands barefoot on the stone path, bathed in the pale moonlight. His blue hair is eerily lit up, making him all the more ephemeral and fragile.

 

It’s almost as if the moon yearns for Tetsuya; all it can do is wrap its light around him.

 

Seijuro remembers the imperial folklore his mother always told him.

 

_The emperors are descendants of Amaterasu, forever in the sun, shining with all the golden splendors gifted by the heavens. They were blessed with divine power but there came a day where Amaterasu, after having an argument with her brother-god Susanoo, fled to a cave and locked herself inside. The world was stripped of all light. Evils spirits and darkness engulfed the world. With every generation, the emperors’ divine power gradually weakened as their goddess had all but disappeared. While the other gods and goddesses convened to persuade and bring Amaterasu out of the cave, Tsukuyomi’s descendants provided Amaterasu’s descendants with their own light and for the many centuries Amaterasu remained in the cave, Tsukuyomi’s descendants continued to aid the imperial family. That was until they too disappeared._

Like all other tales, Seijuro holds it with little regard.

 

 

;-;

 

 

 

Tetsuya yawns. He doesn’t even bother trying to stifle his yawns anymore because it’s that frequent. Seijuro lifts his eyes from his book, assessing the man. “What is it that Tetsuya must sacrifice his rest for?”

 

“Watching over a grown man at night.”

 

“The emperor,” Seijuro states.

 

Tetsuya nods.

 

“And why should Tetsuya do such a thing?”

 

“Because it is my obligation to restore the chrysanthemum throne to its full glory.”

 

Seijuro shuts his book. “Tetsuya is full of contradictions. You say you don’t believe in fate. You spite the gods and yet you perform the role the folklore mentions.”

 

“I am torn. That’s all.” Tetsuya shuts his eyes. “I’m envious of you, Akashi-sama. I was presented with options. I could have abandoned the imperial family yet here I am and here you are, turning a blind eye to the severity of the situation.”

 

Seijuro is overcome with the weightiness of Tetsuya’s words. Words that are filled with resentment accumulated over generations, bitter to the ear, and a painful stab to the heart.

 

Tetsuya muses out loud, distant but pensive. “The sins the imperial family has committed. The sins my clan has done. The sins I have done. One day it’ll all come crashing down.”

 

;-;

 

Tetsuya spends another night watching the Emperor writhe in his futon with terror, panting and gasping for air. Some nights it seems like an invisible force is strangling the emperor. Sometimes Tetsuya wishes for Masaomi to never wake up but the gods aren’t so generous. They won’t kill a pawn they need. But Tetsuya knows what needs to be done.

 

Masaomi sits up, startled, panicking for what is left of his life. Everything is dark, hazy, and disoriented. His eyes slowly adjust and he makes out a faint form standing across from him. “Kuroko-san, kuroko-san,” he calls out desperately.

 

He crawls on his all four, frantically touching around until he comes in contact with Tetsuya. His hands grasp Tetsuya’s ankles, still trembling from the nightmare. Masaomi’s entire body quakes with fear and guilt.

 

“Speak to me, Kuroko-san. Speak to me.”

 

Tetsuya takes in the pathetic sight before him. He wonders what the crown prince would think if he were to see the divine emperor in such a fallen state. Would Seijuro be disgusted as well? Would he fear his years of reign to come?

 

“Kuroko-san, kuroko-san!” shouts Masaomi. He breaks into whimpers, pleading in broken, jagged sobs. The darkness is such a convenient place to hide dirty tears and all the sinful, unwanted doings, but it will never undo the wrong.

 

Tetsuya never responds. He’d rather see the emperor’s tears in a place with light.

 

 

;-;

 

 

Tetsuya gazes at Shiori’s portrait and Seijuro observes him.

 

“She looks like you, Akashi-sama.”

 

Seijuro corrects him. “I am the one who looks like her, Tetsuya.”

 

“My apologies.” Tetsuya walks over to the next portrait. “Your mother died at a young age. I don’t recall how she died. If you can bear the emotions, Akashi-sama, I’d like to hear it from you.”

 

“I have no qualms discussing her death,” says Seijuro. Tetsuya often phrases his requests like challenges these days and the crown prince has no plans on backing down from a task like this. It’s not even comparable to the instant pang of sadness he used to feel when she first died.

 

“My mother died when I was a young boy. She died during an attack on the castle. The Emperor said-”

 

“How very vague,” Tetsuya notes. He spins around with eyes that penetrate deep into Seijuro’s soul. “Give me the truth, Akashi-sama.”

 

Seijuro’s jaw clamps shut, teeth gritting together. Tetsuya approaches and gazes down at the sitting prince. He slides a finger up the side of Seijuro’s throat and stops right under the chin, tilting his face up. Tetsuya offers him a smile. “Tell me, Akashi-sama, and I’ll rectify the wrongs done to you and all that you hold dear to your heart.”

 

Seijuro grips Tetsuya’s dainty wrist, a sardonic smile gracing his lips. “Tetsuya would help a so-called descendant of Amaterasu?”

 

“It is my obligation to restore the chrysanthemum throne to its fullest glory. You have my word, my body, my mind, my heart and my soul.” Tetsuya presses his lips to the back of Seijuro’s hand. He locks eyes with Seijuro’s crimson ones.

 

“I am eternally yours, Akashi-sama.”

 

 

;-;

 

 

“The imperial castle is plagued with sins,” Tetsuya says. He’s on a stroll in the garden with Seijuro. The rose bushes are colored in white, yellow, pink and red. Tetsuya spots a chrysanthemum bush and strides over to it, leaving the crown prince to trail after him.

 

“Isn’t that nice,” Tetsuya murmurs. “The flower is still grown here.”

 

His blue eyes flicker to Seijuro. “It has been said that the descendants of Tsukuyomi gifted Amaterasu’s descendants with chrysanthemum flowers.”

 

Seijuro offers a different perspective. “It’s also been said that Amaterasu herself gave the flower to her descendants.”

 

Tetsuya plucks a petal from the chrysanthemum. “To appease her descendants who were left hanging when she fled to a cave, yes?”

 

“Make what you will of it, Tetsuya. It has no significance to me.” Seijuro walks away and Tetsuya follows while continuing to pluck each petal off.

 

“There is a new breed of chrysanthemums in Edo, Akashi-sama. They’re much more _sophisticated_ than the ones grown here in Kyoto.” Tetsuya drops the naked flower onto the ground as they exit the garden.

 

Seijuro ceases walking. “How are they more sophisticated than the ones here?”

 

Tetsuya tugs on the silky sleeves of Seijuro’s kimono. “I’ll explain once we go inside. A storm is coming.”

 

 

;-;

 

 

Tetsuya spends the stormy night in the Emperor’s room. Masaomi sits bundled up in his futon, teeth clattering from the chilly night. Tonight, he isn’t screaming in his sleep because he isn’t sleeping. He stares absentmindedly at Tetsuya, gaunt shadows under his eyes.

 

The howling winds screams and whirls about, beating the walls of the castle. Occasionally scaring Masaomi.

 

“What must I do,” he croaks out. He’s finally snapped out of his stupor, eyes wide with despair. “How can I fix the wr-”

 

Blood trickles down his arm. A little blade is lodged in the wooden compartment behind the emperor. Tetsuya walks past him and rips the blade out from the wood. “Your majesty, I certainly thought you were smarter than this.”

 

Masaomi doesn’t make any move to look behind him. He can feel the murderous aura behind him. Tetsuya shuffles around the drawers and rips a piece of cloth, tossing it at the emperor. “It’s a light cut. Clean yourself up.”

 

Tetsuya resumes his original position, across from Masaomi. “For as long as you live, you will be plagued with the sins and the horror you’ve done even if you did not do it. You are a descendant of Amaterasu; therefore, you have guilty blood. The curse will continue to perpetuate until all parties are eliminated.”

 

“What about Seijuro? He’ll be doomed to the same fate.”

 

“It’s the turn of a new century, a modern one. With the imperial power declining and the rise of the government, Seijuro wouldn’t hold much power as an emperor. I’m clearing him a new path.”

Thunder rumbles and lightning flashes, lighting up the angry sky, Tetsuya unsheathes a katana.

 

“The gods are angry; they fear loss of control. Allow me to kill you in front of them, Masaomi-sama.”

 

The emperor prostates, exhausted from all the troubles the gods have caused for them. “I leave Seijuro in your hands. May the gods have mercy on me and let me reunite with Shiori.”

 

Tetsuya brings the sword down, lifts it once more, and slams it down again. The choked gurgling fills his ears. The sky crackles with rage. Blood pools around his feet, soaking his thin, white socks as well as the hems of his kimono. He steps out of the room and forces his way through the biting and screaming wind.

 

He feels a tinge of happiness. It’s not enough to bring a smile to his face but it’s enough to send him to the verge of insanity. He’s spilled the blood of his clansmen, seen their accusatory gazes, all the shock and betrayal evident on their dying faces- he can still remember everything clearly.

 

Tetsuya’s numb from all the coldness. He navigates his way to Seijuro’s room. He can hear his grandmother’s wise and ancient voice instructing him. He can hear the crackling of the fire the night she assigned him orders. “Now, now, my dear Tetsuya. You must be cautious with the gods. Amaterasu banished her brother from the same sky for killing another goddess and Tsukuyomi harbored ill intentions thereon out. They instilled their hatred for one another into their humans. We’ve fallen into this cursed web for centuries. No matter how far we, Tsukuyomi’s people, run from the imperial family, the hatred will always find its way to us. We’re entangled.”

 

Tetsuya stares at the sleeping crown prince. His clothes are wet, hair plastered to his face, bangs peeking over his eyes. He strides over to Seijuro and stands over him, placing the sword at the neck. “Wake up, Akashi-sama.”

 

Seijuro’s eyes slowly open. “Have you come to kill me, Tetsuya?”

 

“I have an obligation to my grandmother so I cannot kill you.”

 

Tears drop onto Seijuro’s cheek. They’re freezing cold to the skin. Seijuro thought he was familiar with coldness, but Tetsuya’s coldness was beyond his comprehension. Tetsuya tosses the sword aside, sending it to the ground with a clanging sound, and sits, _straddling,_ the prince. He ends up silently crying, fuming with unanswerable inquiries and sorrow.

 

Seijuro sits upright and wraps his arms around Tetsuya, uncertain. “My mother used to soothe me like this.”

 

“I’m envious of you, Akashi-sama. My grandmother’s a good-hearted person; she chose to protect the future even if it meant sacrificing everything, including me. To prevent the hatred from continuing in the future, I slaughtered my family. I killed your father in your place because if you-”

 

Seijuro tightens his hold around Tetsuya. “Do you think I am that ignorant, Tetsuya? I know how the gods framed our fates. If I had killed my father, I would have only perpetuated the curse Tsukuyomi placed upon the imperial family.”

 

Tetsuya pulls out a blade. “In return, Amaterasu placed a curse on the last member of my clan. The person would die by the hands of her descendant and only then would she be satisfied.”

 

Seijuro’s hands tremble as he reaches for the weapon. For once in his life, he has power. Freedom is close; his freedom from the gods is within his reach.

 

“Did you know my grandmother and your mother planned this? Isn’t it chilling to the bone how far their plan has come?” Tetsuya says casually, like he’s reflecting about all the things in his life. “It’s weird because you have two fates, the one the gods have set aside for you and the one made by a human.”

 

“I can understand that. I wasn’t content when my mother told me my future was in the hands of a person I never met, much less a person of the Tsukuyomi.” Seijuro grips the blade in his hand, anxious. He’s filled with gratitude for the things Tetsuya’s done and sacrificed, carrying out his grandmother and Shiori’s will. Guilt overshadows all of his emotions.

 

Seijuro exhales. His breath is shaky. Tetsuya remembers that this would be the prince’s first time killing. _It’s unfortunate he’d have to kill his own savior_ , Tetsuya thinks. _But that’s the price for freedom._

 

“Take it easy, Akashi-sama. I don’t want you fainting.”

 

Seijuro shoots him a look but it softens when he realizes Tetsuya’s reason for doing so, an attempt to calm him down. A thought comes to Seijuro’s mind. It’s unfortunate they couldn’t get to know each other more.

 

Tetsuya’s eyes light up and he points at his lips. “One request before I die. I need a kiss. I’ve never experienced the phenomenon books mention, the renown _first kiss_.”

 

Seijuro nods, taking it into consideration, and lifts the blade. “Where would you like it, Tetsuya?”

 

Tetsuya taps a finger over his chest, right where the heart resides. “Give me your best, Akashi-sama.”

 

The blade is plunged into Tetsuya’s chest. Seijuro kisses him, tasting blood on his tongue. He’s not repulsed by the taste. It’s the most he can do for all the things Tetsuya’s done. He feels Tetsuya’s body slacken and slump on him.

 

“Once more,” Tetsuya meekly whispers.

 

Seijuro’s cold to the bone. One stab was not enough.

 

“Pull it out and plunge it back in. With force.”

 

Seijuro musters the courage to do it once more. Tetsuya jolts, a tiny broken chuckle falls from his lips. “ _Farewell, Seijuro--”_

 

;-;

 

 

Daiki explodes into laughter at the little kid’s response. He swats his hand. “No, no, you got it all wrong kiddo. The shop owner’s not a demon. He’s really a _prince._ ”

 

“You’re a liar.”

 

Daiki grins. “Alright then, suit yourself.”

 

The kid runs out the shop, chasing after his mother. Seijuro walks down the stairs. “What’s all the laughter about?”

 

Daiki stifles a laugh. “Some kid claimed you were a demon cuz you know—your eyes.”

 

Seijuro prepares himself some tea. “Is that so. My eyes have seen the purest of bloods and the ugliness of heaven’s golden splendors. Perhaps that is why I have such eyes, Daiki.”

 

Daiki claps him on the back. “Let’s visit Tetsu today, eh, Akashi?”

 

“I’d like that.” Seijuro steps outside the shop, staring at the Edo chrysanthemums for sale. He remembers the time Tetsuya explained to him the sophistication of the specific breed. He can hear Tetsuya’s voice clearly in his mind, a warm feeling resonating from his heart.

_You see, Akashi-sama, Edo’s chrysanthemums look like the ones in Kyoto but as they age, the petals will twist and spiral around the center of the bloom. You should go to Edo. I have a friend there, just ask around for Aomine Daiki. Tell him that he owes me a big favor, he’ll understand. He’ll help you get back on your feet._

 

Seijuro sips his warm tea, feeling the warmth of spring caress his face. “Even now, you’re still looking out for me Tetsuya.”

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. chrysanthemums are the symbol of japan's emperor and imperial family  
> 2\. ravens are often associated with Amaterasu (depicted often in paintings)


End file.
